Going Down in Flames
by thomashiddleston
Summary: New York had been reduced to ruins the moment the Chitauri had come through the portal. Loki had the entire world under his thumb, the very last strand of hope was kept with the Resistance. Ella was the founder of the group, her spirit and determination attracted the attention of many, including Loki's, but dangerously so.. He would not take kindly to her.. not the least bit.
1. The resistance

New York had been reduced to ruins the moment the Chitauri had come through the portal. Loki had the entire world under his thumb, the avengers were defeated and taken god knows where, the very last strand of hope was kept with the Resistance, a team of fighters and believers who refused to give up, even when the odds were hurled towards them, they were determined to give their all into saving the human race from subjugation. From Loki.

Ella just so happened to be the founder and leader of this group, her courage and bravery aided her greatly with her full time duty, there were no cowards fighting for freedom, they were the first to kneel. But not her, she refused to, she never would. She'd be damned if she stood face to face with the tyrant, she would simply stand, knees locked, glaring at him. Nothing could crush her hatred towards the self proclaimed 'king'.

She was not fearless. She'd be a fool not to fear things, to fear Loki, in particular. He was an unstable man and could be triggered by the simplest of things, or at least she had heard. He was unpredictable.

During Ella's previous visit to library, or what was left of it, she picked up a few Norse Mythology books and began reading about him, she knew that many of the things written about him were, in fact, false but she was going to take what she could get. What she did find out was that Loki was the god of mischief, lies and deceit, which did explain why he was dangerously good at concealing his real emotions. She shunned all other information, since it would have been impossible to tell what was true without the help of his brother, Thor, who was locked away as well, at the complete and utter mercy of that monster.

-:::-

Ella ran through the demolished streets, careful not to be seen by any of the hostile forces, whether that be the barbarian creatures or the damaged being himself.

She and the other resistance fighters had very little time to get out of there before news of this event aired on screens across the world. She was sure once the bomb they had planted in one of their enemies' vaults had gone off, the 'king' would be enraged. She tried to convince herself that it was necessary, that it was so they would loss a great amount of weapons in the explosion but the publicity was something she did not want. She was certain Loki was acutely aware of the Resistance but he wouldn't be for long, she could practically hear the ticking in her head as the explosive prepared to detonate.

Time seemed to stand still as they ran through the rubble that had been thrown onto the ground during the events of New York several months ago, no one bothered to clean it up.

Just as she began to question if it had even been activated a large explosion appeared not far behind them, propelling them forward slightly but not enough to knock them off their feet. Some stumbled, some did not, but those who did quickly caught their footing as the clock ticked on, pushing them to continue.

This was where things became difficult, she was going to need to shout commands to the others before they were completely cornered. They were at huge disadvantage. The Chitauri had means of transportation, they did not, and as of now they most definitely had been seen.

"Units one and two, stay here and fight! Three and four! Take out the news choppers when they get here!" She yelled over the loud roaring of the hover crafts and the creatures that rode them.

Ella readjusted her sheath of blades that hung from her shoulder and pulled out her dual pistols as she stopped running to turn and face them. When she had stopped, the other members had halted as well and began to aim their weapons at the aliens that had taken over their home.

"Make it quick.. Horns will be here soon." She muttered under her breath, loud enough for the people around her to hear. None of them dared to take their eyes off of them as they flew closer, landing on the street in front of them.

Ella carefully reached for a grenade, making sure none of them saw the action before it had even been thrown. She pulled out the wire and threw it at them, immediately ducking for cover.

The creatures scrambled to throw it back but by the time they had picked it up it was too late, with a loud bang they all went flying into the air, all seeming to die as they braced for impact with the walls of buildings and towers.

She led her team away, quickly abandoning the streets to hide in an alleyway as they awaited the arrival of their other troops that had been sent to take down the press.

-:::-

Hours later, Loki sat upon the plush cushions of his designer couch, watching what had occurred earlier on his big screen. He gave the reporters permission to release the footage to the public, he wanted people to see the act of rebellion, he wanted to show to them all what would happen to them if they did the same. When the time was right, he would make them burn for all to see.

There was one Resistance fighter in particular that caught his attention, she seemed to have authority over all of the others leading him to quickly decide it was she who led the group of rebels.

He studied her for several minutes so if he was to encounter her, he would know exactly who she was.

The woman had dark brown hair and tan skin with a few scrapes and bruises scattered along it in various patterns, her eyes were a dancing blue that pierced through her enemies and she seemed to stride with a hidden confidence that kept everything at bay. Without it, she would fall just as the rest had, deeming him victorious once again.

The bombing had left him more than furious but he cared not for the weapons, it was that simple act that had him seething. He was not one to be bested by a few petty mortals, let alone one, and he was not going to start today, he immediately had sent out groups of the Chitauri to begin tracking down their headquarters, he knew they had one considering the amount of people and weaponry they brought with them for that endeavor and he was going to find it. They were the very last to try to defy him, that he did acknowledge but nevertheless he was going to destroy them and he was going to do it where everyone could see.

-:::-

Shortly after the incident, Ella and the rest had retreated back to their underground haven, not bothering with the remainder of the press. They had taken down a few choppers but were unable to get them all, there had been more than they had anticipated.

She was planning to head back out soon, in normal clothes, but of course she'd still have her weapons concealed beneath them, just incase.

Besides the Chitauri and rubble every where, New York had returned to normal and people walked the streets. The businesses and restaurants still thrived as did the city itself. The very idea of that drove Ella up the wall, people were supposed to be fighting back! But instead they just went along with it, kneeling willingly, giving up as the cowards they were.

She exhaled loudly as she slipped on a tight black dress and heels. It had been awhile since she had gotten something to eat that wasn't from the large freezer in their base. She did her makeup, going for a feline look and curled her hair, pulling on it at the bottoms to make it appear lazy.

Tonight was going to be her night of relaxation.

-:::-

Ella walked into the classy, five star restaurant that she had been wanting to try for months at the least, the air that it carried was both elegant and comforting, allowing her to immediately release all of the tension that she had built up over the past few hours.

She walked up to the waitress that was tending to the seating of their customers.

"Reservation for 'White'." She stated as she plastered a fake smile on her lips as others had always done when speaking with people they did not know.

The lady eyed her strangely before responding with a 'too sweet' tone, "Ah, yes.. Ms. White.. follow me please."

Ella happily complied as she followed behind the woman who obviously wanted nothing to do with her job or the eatery she stood in. It didn't take a genius or rocket scientist to figure that one out.

She led her to a small table in the center of the building, it was one of the only ones that was still available, they seemed pretty busy for a Wednesday night, something that Ella took note of as she sat down.

"Thank you.." She flashed yet another fake smile to the waitress, trying not to appear irritated.

"Uh huh.." She was already walking away from the table before she had responded over her shoulder with a sarcastic voice.

Ella looked through the menu, deciding on what she would like to eat. She figured she wouldn't get any service for at least several minutes so she took her time in reading her choices.

After she had read it one last time, the walleye looked particularly appetizing, it came with a side of mashed potatoes and bacon flavored gravy, something she wanted to try.

A new woman who looked to be in her mid forties walked up to her table and appeared way friendlier than the last had.

"Hello, my name is Tracy and I will be your ser-" she stopped mid sentence as she stared fearfully at something behind her, or perhaps, someone. Her jaw dropped to the floor as she quickly fell to her knees, the occasional tremor shaking through her body as she avoided staring at the thing behind her.

Ella was almost afraid to turn around, mostly the lady's fault but she managed to turn anyways, her eyes scanning the form that stood regally before her as she began to realize who it was that was intently staring at her.

"Eleanor Elizabeth White.." His voice was unnaturally smooth and sent shivers down her spine as he continued to speak, "you have been quite the agitator.. haven't you?" His tone came out as both enthusiastic and mocking as he raised an eyebrow at her, ignoring all the people that were now on their knees. "Where did you manage to get all of those explosives? If you don't mind me asking."

Ella slowly stood from her seat, pressing her back against the table as she tried desperately to keep her distance from the god who did not dare peel his gaze from her.

"I don't know what you are talking about.." She stated plainly as she struggled to keep her emotions in check, looking behind her to study all of the submissive people, she groaned angrily before turning back to him, something he definitely did not miss.

"You cannot deceive me.. I am the god of deceit! I know very well who you are, Ms. White." He spat angrily as his blue eyes caught fire.

Just before Ella responded a click of a cell phone camera sounded and she curiously turned her head to see who had taken the picture. While her pivot was curious, Loki's was enraged, making her even more frightened of what he would do next.

He strode over to the man and grabbed his phone, crushing it with the mere force of his hand as he glared at him, "Do you mortals really have that much disrespect? You would dare take a picture of me while I am having a very much private conversation!" Loki took hold of the young man and snapped his neck, throwing him to the floor. He turned back to face Ella, a malevolent smirk placed on his lips as he studied her from head to toe, the corners of his lips curling up, turning the smirk into a wide grin.

He began to slowly walk to her but disappeared only to assimilate right in front of her, clasping a hand around her throat and lifting her into the air, causing people to release audible gasps of shock and fear.

"You will kneel before me! Just as the rest have! And you will do it willingly!" He muttered maliciously as he bared his teeth at her, staring into her eyes.

The physical contact had her more than afraid, it had her gasping for air, his grip on her was tight enough to block air from traveling through her windpipe.

He stared at her, watching her struggle for air, he enjoyed seeing her squirm to survive, a fighter she was. Just before the life was drained from her, he let go, letting her fall to the ground as she began swallowing large amounts of oxygen.

"I hope you all have enjoyed the show but we must be going.." He stated as he observed the girl on the ground before him, her hands around her throat as she breathed in and then out repeatedly.

Ella's demeanor changed rapidly as she heard the use of the plural noun in his sentence, she quickly stood on her feet and attempted at running but he had already had her by her wrist.

The restaurant faded away in a swirl of black and blue, leaving her in the living room of Loki's residence.


	2. Letter

In less than a second she was up and out of her bed, her forehead covered in sweat, her eyes bloodshot and her breathing becoming more and more uneven as time passed by.

Ella did not hesitate to run into the small but comfortable restroom connected to her room, shutting the door and locking it behind her. She pushed stray strands of hair from her face and peered into the mirror at her reflection, more than frightened from the dream she had, the bags under her eyes evident enough. It had been /too real/, almost like it had actually happened.

Her appearance was more than disheveled, she looked as if she had gone to hell and miraculously came back. Her hair was in knots, her skin showing signs of discoloration in many areas, giving a look of sickness. There was something in particular that struck her strange. Besides looking ill and having bags under her eyes, there was something on her neck, and after closer inspection she spotted a bruise quickly beginning to show, she could almost see the color of her skin changing. The bruise was just around the front of her neck.

Ella's eyes widened to the umpteenth degree as she stared at it, her jaw dropping to the floor. The dream she had, Loki had been there, toying with her, that is, until he lifted her by her neck and choked her, his hand exactly where the bruise was. She didn't know what to do, what to think, none of it made any sense, she didn't remember going to bed but she also didn't remember half the things she did yesterday so she had absolutely no clue. She compromised with her inner self on just forgetting about it, pushing it aside and covering up the mark around her neck with all the makeup she could find.

After a quick shake of her head, she washed the normally cold water onto her face, using it in hopes to cease the tremors traveling throughout her body. It did little to nothing. After one last splash of the refreshing liquid, she blinked back the remainder that found its way under her lids and looked back into the reflective glass, so emotionally exhausted that it took her several moments just to notice the figure standing not far behind her and even more just to scream in her absolute and utter horror.

She flipped around to face the man behind her but found no one there, not even a sign of the intruder.

Ella blinked a few times, starting to think she truly had gone insane, that she was letting this rebellion get to her and corrupt her brain with terrible hallucinations. Never had she been so on edge in her entire life, it felt as if something was there, watching her, every second of the day, but every time she turned to look, there was no one, no one was /ever/ there. She began to wonder if the dream she had actually occurred, she couldn't explain how or why, her brain whirling in circles, she was confused beyond belief.

Shortly after her loud and abrupt screech, a banging noise sounded from the outside of her room, most definitely some one who had come to her aid.

All she had to do now was convince everyone that nothing was wrong, when in reality, everything was and there was nothing she could do or say to change that.

-:::-

"Commander White, make your way to the control room immediately, it's urgent." A voice rang over the intercom as soldiers, fighters and crew alike walked through the halls of their Headquarters.

Ella had been walking in the halls as well and literally the moment after the members of higher status had mentioned her name, everyone had turned to look at her, somewhat interested in what it was that was 'urgent', and to be completely honest with herself, she was too.

She sped along, striding with purpose, everyone in front of her immediately swerved out of her way, knowing better than to continue walking at their slow pace.

It did not take her long to reach the cold and metallic room, it was just like all of the other rooms except for a few factors, really. Most of their technology had been put in there, their long table (for meetings) was there and it was slightly larger than the other rooms.

She slowly turned the handle and glanced into the room full of brave people before closing the door behind her. If anything, she was proud to be running the organization, she was proud to be one of the only people left in the world to be working against The Tyrant's rule.

"What is it? Why have I been called here? I was going to take my paperwork down to the secretaries on level three." She walked across the room to sit in her assigned seat at the table, staring down everyone there in a neutral kind of way, not irritated enough to be mad.

"What the hell happened to you?" A man known as 'Stitch' asked her, raising an eyebrow. He had insisted on having a nickname, no one else had one, only him; with the exception of the people in their witness protection program (yes they had taken that on too since the government no longer could, they couldn't do anything really since they were being watched intently).

"I'm.. just sleep deprived." She avoided eye contact with him for more than a few seconds so he wouldn't figure out her lie that easily. "What is it that is 'urgent', do tell." Not one person in the room missed the quick subject change expelled by their leader

.

"It seems we've received a letter, a letter that I dreaded reading. It was sent personally.." Stitch glanced around at his fellow co workers as if asking them if he should continue. He did. "We received it this morning at approximately nine. We weren't sure what to do with it or about the growing matter so that was when we called you down here." Her looked at her from under his brow as he stood and tossed her the already open envelop.

"Who.. Who is it from?"

She got not a response out of anyone so she decided she would have to look for herself.

The envelop was beautifully decorated and seemed to be made from some of the finest paper the world had to offer; parchment possibly? And on the front of it read 'Resistance', it was written in cursive with an emerald colored ink.

Ella glanced up, observing everyone's facial expressions in an attempt to guess what she was about to open, she failed miserably.

Slowly and carefully, she pulled the paper out of the envelop and unfolded it, her eyes swimming across the page's flowing words. Her breaths began to quicken as she continued to read, unable to comprehend what was actually happening.

On the paper read:

_ To whom it may concern,_

_I'm going to keep this as simple as I possibly can. You all have committed treason against me and this realm.. I am determined to not let that go unpunished. You are all that stands from me permanently claiming the world as mine and I will do whatever it takes to knock you down, more specifically.. to your knees. I am, however, willing to /consider/ a compromise if you hand over the girl to me. I need not tell you who I speak of, you know exactly who I mean._

_ ~Yours Truly_

Ella ran a hand through her hair and released a somewhat frustrated sigh, crumpling the paper and chucking it at the wall. She stood from her seat and began to pace around the room.

"Are you positive it's from /him/ and not some harmless pranksters?" Her tone was hoarse as she struggled not to break down in front of all of her men; most of the emotion a result of her lack of sleep.

"Sadly, yes. It was personally delivered by one of the chitauri, which, did not go very well, by the way.." Stitch's tone softened a bit before another man spoke up.

"Yep. That was me. I killed it."

He exaggerated a gesture to the man as if saying 'see', before he reached across the table to retrieve what remained of the envelop.

"He won't have you.."

The sentence rang through her head for hours.

-:::-

Dinner was silent. Not a single word escaped from anyone's mouth.

Only a handful of the resistance knew about their current dilemma, the less who knew, the better. But the people who did not know sensed something very wrong and did not dare speak a word to her or any other elite members.

She didn't eat much, she was consumed in thought, eating didn't appeal much to her.

-:::-

Ella had been instructed to return to the control room two hours after dinner and the two hours had come and gone, so she currently found herself speeding the halls to get there in time.

She charged into the room this time, not hesitating to open the door slowly and greet all of the people with a smile as she closed the door.

But when her eyes lifted off the floor she wished they hadn't. In the center of the room stood the being himself, strange clothes and all, staring at her with purpose, a wicked grin gracing his features. Around him stood all of the people she had seen in there earlier, some of them cowering slightly and others pointing small handguns in his direction, but not one of them were anywhere close to where he was, they all keep a decent amount of distance between him and themselves.

"Ah, Eleanor.. I quite enjoyed the show you created.. a 'fearless' leader commanding her troops around the ruined streets of New York in a vain attempt to defy me. It was rather entertaining, wouldn't you agree?" He made a few hand gestures as he almost 'too casually' walked around the room, glancing about freely. His eyes eventually traveled back to hers as he began to slowly make his way towards her.

"Do not take another step! You will not be taking her!" None other than Stitch had spoken up, pointing his dual pistols at the god.

If Ella could have slapped a hand over her face, she would of, she appreciated his courage but he couldn't have done something any dumber. He was provoking a god. And if there was anything he loved more than it toying with 'mortals', it seemed it was challenges, and the dumbass presented him with a pretty blunt one.

"Is that so?" Loki's gaze moved to the man as he took another step, a wide grin spreading across his lips as he saw his hesitation in pulling the trigger, he was practically waiting for when he did, it would give him an excuse to slaughter the antagonist that he was beginning to despise more than the organization itself.

His lips curled as he did, the bullet bounced off of his Asgardian metal and into one of the computers nearby. Seconds after it had hit, Loki had his knife that had been hidden beneath his leathers between his fingers and had thrown it at the man, hitting him in the very center of his chest, not an inch off.

Horrified shrieks erupted within the room as his knife started an uproar of gunfire, the bullets bouncing off of things and flying into the elite.

Ella had dove to the ground the moment it began, fighting back a scream as the result of frustration and a sudden sadness. But as she opened her eyes she spotted the God walking toward her intently, a mocking smile on his expression.


End file.
